Space Problems
by Mei Vir D. Ripper
Summary: Fate knew how to screw people's lives. In this case, it had reconnected two souls who had only met once, who were at the opposite end of the spectrum, and trapped them in a situation wherein they had to kill or be killed or maybe something in between. #KamuSoyo


**A/N:** Originally posted on my tumblr account. This was an angst prompt challenge by Momo ( late-nightlove) which I failed terribly. I don't know how to write angst for this OTP. *shoots self*

Based on the prompt line: **"Looks like we'll be trapped for a while…"**

Canon-verse. Just after the Farewell Shinsengumi part wherein people don't know where the hell Kamui went to after being separated from the 7th Division. And Soyo's somewhere together with Matsudaira whose whereabouts are also unknown.

Disclaimer: I killed the Gorilla. I own them now. *evil laughter*

* * *

 **o-o**

Soyo thought the universe must have hated her. Here she was simply trying to get a breath of fresh air, after all the chaos and madness happening in her life, and the next thing she knew a small shelter boat had suddenly crashed down right in front of her, almost killing her in the process. Had she not been a few feet away from the crash site, her body organs would have scattered all over the place like some pieces of offal and Soyo Tokugawa would be no more.

But somehow that thought didn't seem to make her feel ill. On the contrary, it made her wished she _was_ hit by the escape pod so that she could now finally be reunited to her brother's side. Tokugawa Shige-Shige's death had almost taken a toll on her sanity. If it wasn't for _Jiiya_ , who consistently encouraged her to keep moving forward because that was the will of her brother, she might have committed seppuku to end her life. Or whatever means she had to do just so that the painful pang in her heart would cease it exist.

She was naive to think that they would finally be out of reached from those who wanted to assassinate the previous Shogun. But as it turned out, they were blackmailed by those they thought they considered as their allies. Soyo guessed that the only saving grace before her brother's death would be she was there beside him, as he finally rested peacefully on her lap. And she was able to say _good night_ properly _._ If she didn't, she wouldn't know how she'd handle the situation.

And now looking at the pod in front of her, again, she couldn't help but wish it had just ended her misery. Its automated door had slowly opened and Soyo felt intense apprehension overcoming her. Who could it be? What if it was an enemy? Before her mind could come up with an answer to her questions, her body stood frozen in terror at the sight before her. Standing at the entrance way was no other than the man who had once tried to take down her life and considered her as a some kind of pest, the captain of Harusame's 7th Division, Kamui.

 _'W-what's he doing here?'_ she paled in thought. She slowly backed off, not wanting the dangerous alien to know about her presence. Her eyes were securely trained on any movement that would gave her any hints that he had noticed her. Instead she noticed that he seemed to have difficulty standing on both feet and struggling for balance as he held onto the sides of the doorway. His whole body and clothes were also bloodied and tattered which she thought must be the result of engaging in a very heated battle. His usually braided hair was left unbound behind his back.

Soyo quietly stepped back but stopped when his eyes had finally locked itself on her location. Fear gripped her heart when he slowly moved and pointed his infamous Yato umbrella at her.

"You...," Kamui whispered. His blue eyes bored into her hazel eyes as if challenging her to try to run away. But she did not.

She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the pain to seep through her before her life would finally be taken away. Although, she didn't really want this madman to be the person to kill her but ' _beggars can't be choosers_ ' as the saying goes. But a few moments had passed and she felt no sense of pain in any part of her body. Did he kill her painlessly? That would be great but she could still feel her body shaking uncontrollably.

Slowly opening her eyes, she surveyed herself, and indeed, she was still in one piece. No holes, no blood, no pain. Confused, Soyo took a glance at Kamui's direction only to find him lying on the ground unconscious.

 _'Is he dead?'_ she thought. _'If he's dead, then good riddance. That's once less monster in this world._ '

She hurriedly turned around and ran as fast and as far as her feet could go. She tried to create as much distance as she could between her and the Harusame captain, and tried desperately to crush the pang of conscience she felt towards him.

"He isn't worth saving," Soyo whispered to herself.

* * *

He felt cold.

Kamui's mind perceived intense cold that seeped throughout every fiber of his body. He tried to move parts of his limbs but to no avail they refused to obey his orders. He had lost too much blood from fighting so many enemies from the Tendoshuu and Harusame but he had never regretted it. Never had he felt so alive than when he was in the midst of a battlefield.

His Yato blood always urged him to continue fighting, never stopping. Even if his body was almost destroyed from several explosions ignited on their ship, he continued to do battle. Even when his vice-captain had already told him to abandon ship and escape, he stubbornly refused to listen. The adrenaline rush that flowed throughout his body kicked him further into action.

' _So many strong opponents,_ ' he thought in maddening bliss. _'I'll become the strongest.'_

He had made a vow a long time ago that he'd become the strongest person in the whole universe no matter what. Abuto had jokingly told him that he'd become the pirate king someday and Kamui firmly believed that he could achieve it. _He will achieve it._

That's why, even if he had to force his body into shatters just so that it would fucking move, he'd do it. He'd force himself to come back from the dead and even beat the shit out of the grim reaper if he had to.

Standing on two unsteady feet, Kamui slowly walked towards the pod's hatch. By some short of a miracle, he was able to find a working escape pod before the ship completely disintegrated. Sunlight splashed through the thick branches of tall luscious green forestry, shifting with the wind that ran through the canopy and making him squint his bruised and bloodied eyes.

Despite his current blurry eyesight, he was able to catch the slight movement and rustling sound of green fabric. His senses were immediately heightened and raised his umbrella ready for any attack.

" _You..._ ," Kamui whispered as recognition dawned on him. All remaining energy inside him evaporated and his body slumped face first on the cold hard ground.

He didn't know how long he had been unconscious nor where he was currently right now. But Kamui knew one thing for sure; he wasn't dead yet and was gratified with the thought. His body still hurt as fuck and he could still feel some of his bones creaking even with the slightest of movement but it wasn't something that he wasn't used to already. Thank his Yato blood for giving him good regenerative abilities. It was always a lifesaver when he got himself into very serious battles that more often than not left him near death's door. But it seemed _Enma-o_ still didn't want to accept him. And he was more than happy not to cross the river as well.

There were still so many strong opponents living somewhere in the universe like that samurai policeman his sister took a fancy on, or Shinsuke who promised to have a duel with him once this whole take-down-the-bakufu ordeal was over, or that silver-permed samurai whose eyes looked like dead fish. There's also his old man whom he needed to kill once and for all. So, yep, he couldn't die just yet. He still needed to become the pirate king too!

Groaning, Kamui slowly propped himself up with an arm and was careful not to any unnecessary pressure, that would open some of his wounds. He swiftly scanned his surroundings and immediately came to the conclusion that wherever this place was, it was dark and murky. He didn't like it. "Where the hell am I?" he asked aloud.

"Don't move or I'll kill you," said a familiar feminine voice from behind. "If you m-move unnecessarily, I w-won't hesitate to stab you with this k-knife."

Surprised, he slightly turned his head to the side to look at his captor who was pointing a sharp pocket knife behind him. ' _Why didn't I notice her presence?_ '

Kamui normally didn't like to get caught off guard. He knew his senses were a bit muddled because of the serious injuries he recently got, but nothing pissed him more than being placed in a comprising situation, like some kind of trapped prey. He was always the captor and not the other way around.

And when his blue eyes locked onto a pair of hazel-colored orbs, fate sure had a twisted and uncanny way of connecting people's lives, he thought ironically. Of all the Earth people he would get to encounter again, it was the Tokugawa Princess.

"Hmmm… Well, well, if it isn't the ex-Shogun's sister. I thought you already died back then but that doesn't seem like the case since your still breathing," he chuckled darkly.

* * *

Soyo, in her 14 years of living, had never had the urge to kill someone deliberately; all except for the alien man who was currently in front of her. Even when his brother was brutally assassinated with poison, she had never once thought of extracting revenge against the people who betrayed them. Well, _maybe_ , she _did_ have the urge to smack the face of that new phony shogun with a metal baseball bat who acted as if all human beings under him were his toys; and he didn't care for anyone's well-being besides his own.

And that _man_ had the scruples to call himself a Shogun. She would spit at his face if she was given the chance right now.

But then again, _right now_ , she had other problems to worry about. For one, she needed to reassess, whether her mental capacity to determine between foe and ally, had been disarrayed from watching too much deaths and brutality. Then, again, no one in their right mind would save someone who just recently wanted to _kill you_ because they simply _considered_ you as a _pest_.

If it weren't for Shinsengumi's 1st Division Captain Sougo Okita coming to her rescue, she would have been the one brutally murdered, and it would be her own internal organs splattered all over the place like pieces of offal. But whichever kind of insanity that took hold of her to actually turn around and save the dying Yato, after she had repeatedly told herself to just run away as far as possible, and that the said man was not even worth saving; she did the exact opposite of what common sense wanted her to do.

And she was paying for her stupid actions. ' _It also looks like we'll be trapped here for a while…,'_ she thought with misery.

Looking warily at the still unconscious space pirate, Soyo created a wide berth between her and the evil villain. Well, as much distance as she possibly could, given the small space where the two of them were currently trapped in. Not only was sanity abandoning her, so was Earth's gravity.

While carrying the wounded Kamui back to Shinsengumi's current hideout, the ground she was stepping on suddenly gave out and both fell inside a very deep trapping pit. It was already too late for her to realize that _Jiiya_ had specifically told her to be careful when trekking the forest because of the various trapping pits carefully hidden with the purpose of capturing large wild animals lurking deep within it. Luckily for her, they landed on a pit that was devoid of large wooden stakes and this pit they got themselves into was used to capture whatever kind of prey _alive_.

Soyo berated herself continuously, pulled her legs closer to her and wrapped her arms tightly around them. ' _He isn't worth saving. He isn't worth saving._ ' Her mind continued to scream, rebuking her. But then her conscience had won over, after it had also reminded her, that the person lying unconscious a few feet away was also related to her best friend, the Yorozuya girl, Kagura.

It was unfair.

' _How can Kagura-chan be related to someone like him who has no morality and only thinks about killing other people's lives?'_ she thought with disgust. _'Someone who doesn't deserve to live… u-unlike… u-unlike m-my b-bro…'_

Fighting the heavy stream of tears flowing down her soft cheeks, Soyo pulled her legs even closer and turned herself into a small ball. She bit her lips to stop herself from sobbing uncontrollably. Currently, she was in front of the enemy, and even if he was insentient, she _will not_ show any form of weakness. Who knows? He might only be feigning it and was actually waiting for Soyo to let her guard down.

After a few more moments, which seemed more like eternity, a groaning sound immediately drew her attention. She silently watched as the evil space pirate slowly propped himself in a sitting position. There was a look of confusion on his face as he surveyed his current surroundings.

Fear gripped her heart like a snake had wrapped itself around its prey. Now that the monster was awake, she was in a dire situation. Oh, if only she didn't care that Kamui was Kagura's older brother and that the Yorozuya girl might not want her brother to die like a piece of shit.

' _What do I do?!_ ' she thought frantically.

Then, she suddenly remembered that Matsudaira-san gave her something that could help her for emergency situations, such as this, wherein she had to fend for herself. Soyo hastily searched inside her green kimono and took out a small folded piece of brass steel.

 _"What is this?" Soyo asked the ex-Shinsengumi Police Superintendent. She stared curiously at the small piece of what seemed like folded brass steel. On both sides of it, there were words engraved on the metal piece. "Manufactured by [1]Higonokami Corp." She read aloud._

 _"It's a pocket knife," Matsudaira explained to the Tokugawa Princess, before blowing a heavy puff of smoke. "I got that from [2]Nagao-kun who's a long-time friend of mine. You'll need that Soyo-chan."_

 _She looked at the older man in confusion. "Huh? But why?"_

 _Matsudaira blew another puff of smoke before answering her question and gazed at her seriously._

 _"With the current situation a bit complicated, I cannot ensure that my men and I will always be there to protect you. Although, of course, I wouldn't let anything bad to happen to you, Soyo-chan. Sho-chan wouldn't forgive me if something happens to his younger sister… but it would be better to equip yourself with even a small piece of protection that you can carry all the time… especially during emergency situations."_

 _"I-I see…"_

 _The older man gently patted Soyo's shoulders and smiled, "You're already like a daughter to me, Soyo. And if there's anything I could do to secure your safety, I will do it. Therefore, you must also keep your safety in mind. We still have our own responsibilities to keep."_

At that time, she could only nod in silent assent. She was grateful that a lot of people cared for her welfare, but to be honest, she couldn't care less if she was murdered here and now. However, the superintendent's last words had affected her greatly. She was a Tokugawa noble family member, the younger sister of Shogun Shige-Shige Tokugawa, and her social status did not allow her to run away like a coward, like a dog with its tail in between its legs. Therefore, she would need to survive.

Soyo carefully opened the pocket knife, so she wouldn't get herself cut accidentally, and slowly raised it in front of her. Moving as silently as she could, she positioned the knife in between herself and Kamui's unguarded back.

 _"Where the hell am I?"_ She heard him ask aloud. Taking a deep breath, she pointed the metal blade at him.

"Don't move or I'll kill you," she said. "If you m-move unnecessarily, I w-won't hesitate to stab you with this k-knife."

In another universe or another era, if the circumstances between them were not too complicated, she would have found his surprised reaction somewhat comical. But, alas, they were two people whose character types were placed at the opposite ends of the spectrum. And yet, here they were, both trapped in the same place. Fate was playing a very ironic joke.

When he slowly turned his head to look at her, her gripped the knife more tightly until her knuckles turned white, and glared at a pair of sapphire eyes staring mockingly at her.

"Hmmm… Well, well, if it isn't the ex-Shogun's sister. I thought you already died back then but that doesn't seem like the case since your still breathing," he chuckled darkly.

His eyes purposely traveled down to her hands, stared at the knife and then back at her small pretty face.

"My, my… what do you have there in your hands, Princess? That looks pretty dangerous," Kamui smirked.

Soyo glowered at the space pirate even more. "It is. And I won't hesitate to pierce this knife through your body, if you do anything f-foolish…"

Kamui unexpectedly laughed aloud, and then winced in pain, but still kept on chuckling. "Was that supposed to be a _threat_ , Princess?"

His movements were so fast that Soyo was caught off guard of his actions, and she now looked at him face to face. His bandaged hand was holding both her trembling hands, holding the metal blade, in a very tight grip. There was an evil glint playing on his azure-colored eyes and a mocking grin was plastered on his lips.

He pulled her closer to him until both of their faces were only inches apart. "Do you really think you can kill me with your tiny little blade, Your Highness?" he whispered condescendingly.

Soyo gritted her teeth and glared daggers at him. "I will if I have to," she spat at him. "And I am not afraid of you."

A few moments passed and the two continued to stare each other down. While Soyo was frantically trying to find a means of escape from Yato alien, Kamui was calculating the woman's will and determination. And as much as he hated it, he was a little bit impressed at the show of courage the woman displayed. He had been to many planets and had countless battles with different types of species – both male and female. But this was the first time, a female Earthling stood up directly to him.

He knew firsthand that Edo women were an interesting form of female species, as per his experience with the courtesans of Yoshiwara. But those women were always docile and boring. Well, probably, he'd make an exception for Hinowa and that other courtesan, Tsukuyo. Those two women were quite interesting and strong on their own. However, both knew how to properly stand down against him; unlike this little minx in front of him, who's clutching a useless piece of scrap metal, as if her life depended on it.

Kamui's interest was piqued but it didn't mean he was going to let her threaten him, Harusame's 7th Division Captain, and get away with it unscathed.

"Interesting," he snickered. "I'm a little bit impressed, Princess. However…"

Soyo blanched in horror as she watched him grab hold of the knife's blade with his left hand, and easily broke it in half, not minding the blood trickling downwards. "You wouldn't be able to kill me with just using this small piece of scrap metal. I suggest you try to learn how to use one of a _katana_ samurai warriors use."

She stared at the broken piece of metal thrown on the cold ground and felt her body sagged lower, as if all of her life's energy had been taken away from her. The only thing that was her only last life line was tossed aside without any second thoughts. Was this it? Was she going to tragically die in the hands of this demon?

She couldn't allow that to happen. She _will not_ allow it.

"W-wait," Soyo pleaded. "Y-you can't kill me now."

He quirked a brow at her and smiled. "And why not?"

"B-because… because if you call me now, you won't get the medical attention that you urgently need," she added. "You're in dire shape right now. And I-I've noticed that your favoring the right portion of your body s-since earlier. If get us out of here, I'll be able to get you treated when we get back to our hideout."

 _That's right, Soyo. Just keep talking. Make a deal with him and find a way on how you can survive this whole ordeal you landed yourself into._

He looked at her strangely as if she'd grown another head. Was she making a deal with him? Kamui thought curiously. This young girl never stopped to surprise him. He knew in his guts that she was only trying to save her measly life by offering the medical treat that needs. And even if the Yato clan's regenerative abilities were faster compared to other alien species, he did acquire very serious wounds from the previous fights.

If he was to assess himself right now, he had more or less 6 broken ribs. The deep wound on the lower part of his abdomen, which he got from fighting that Earth Policeman, was reopening again. Not to mention he also had other smaller cuts on different parts of his body, including the one on his left hand, which he used to show the Tokugawa Princess his overwhelming power.

"That's a very interesting offer, Princess," he chuckled. "How will I know if you won't suddenly let your guard dogs slaughter me will I'm getting my _medical treatment_? Of course, I can easily kill them all another time, but right now I won't take any chances. I might be an airhead sometimes, as Abuto always told me, but I don't like the idea of dying at the hands of weak Earthlings."

"I promise, I'll keep my word," she answered through gritted teeth.

"I don't _trust_ your word."

"Then, you just have to believe and see for yourself. I _always_ keep my promises. It is my duty as a member of nobility."

"Well, the last nobility I worked with tried to annihilate you and everyone under you. He even succeeded in killing your brother, right?" he smirked.

Soyo bit down her lower lip to stop the angry tears from forming. How dare he mention her brother's death to her like it meant nothing? The bastard!

"You have no right to talk about my brother," Soyo hissed at him. "If you don't want to work with me, then suit yourself. Rot away here in this trapping pit for all I care. _Jiiya_ will surely look for me, and when they do, I'll make sure you never get out of here at all."

"Ohh? Is that another threat, Princess?"

They stared each other down and measured each of their own options. Soyo prayed to all the gods out there to come to her aid and save her from the insane monster in front of her, while Kamui was having fun trying to scare the little girl who's trying her best to barter with a space pirate like him. He could care less if he got the treatment now; it was getting more interesting to push all of her buttons and find out what kind of reactions she'd give him.

Before, he had thought that she was nothing but a docile and boring pest. But, he guess, that was not the case. Kamui chuckled.

"Alright, Princess, I'll accept your offer," he said.

Soyo couldn't believe her ears. Did he really agree? Or was he just joking around again?

"What? Got nothing to say?" he asked quirking a brow at her.

She looked at him haughtily. "Good. Then, we have a deal."

"A deal it is," Kamui smirked.

For now, it seemed like she had managed to find away to come out of this troublesome ordeal without getting killed. But in the future, she'd have to find a way on how she could destroy these monsters who took her kind brother from her. For now, she'll work with him.

For Kamui, it was imperative to meet up together with his Vice-Captain Abuto, his Yato crew, and the rest of the Kiheitai group back on his home planet. He'd take the offer this little minx had given him. But sometime soon, he'd come back for her. She had piqued his interest like no other female specie had ever done before.

And as Kamui carried carried Soyo on his arms, jumping at a great height that was definitely inhuman, both subconsciously knew that fate had stared to weave the threads that connected both of their lives together. However in this lifetime, it seemed fate had decided to trek down a very troublesome and dark path together.

* * *

 **Notes:**

[1] higonokami – is the original Japanese for their traditional pocket knives. This piece of metal blade was actually not invented during the Edo era but in the Meiji period when the use of samurai swords became illegal and blacksmiths had to do another form of income. It literally means "Lord of Higo". Higo was previously the old name for Japan's current Kyushu Province. And during those times, Matsudaria Katamori (historical figure used for Katakoriko's character) was the current lord of the province.

Higonokami is different from another type of Japanese pocket knife called the "Higonoknaifu". The original ones are those sold in little blue and gold paperbound boxes.

[2] Nagao – is the family last name of the only person currently making an original Higonokami in Japan. He is Motosuke Nagao. Right now, he's already an old dude and it seems there are no successors under him which is a bit sad, I think.

 **o-o**

 **A/n:** I'd really like to hear some thoughts about this story because I'm preeeettyy sure it ain't angsty. Also, I'd like to hear how to make this fecking couple go angsteh demmet. Reviews please?


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